Machine for preparing wood blocks for kiln drying



Oct. 22, 1940. O, MATTESON 2,218,890

MACHINE FOR PREPARING WOOD BLO 5 FOR KILN DRYING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 24, 1958 \AAh/ JESSE o. MATTESON lNVENTO/P PER ATTORNEY Oct. 22,1940. J O MATTESQN 2,218,890

MACHINE FOR PREPARING WOOD BLOCKS FOR KILN DRYING Filed Dec. 24, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 2 JESSE O. MATTESON //V V[ N 70/? PE ATTORNE).

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED-1" sm-" ras PATENT orrlcs FOR-PREPARINGWOOD BLOCKS FOR KILN DRYING Jesse 0. Matteson, Muskegon, ll/I.ich., vassignor to' The Brunswick-Balke-Collend'er Company, Chi- I cago, III.,a corporation of Delaware Application December 24, 1938, Serial' Na.247,562. Claims. (01. 91-5r This invention relates to an improvedmachine for preparing ,wood blocks for kiln drying and has for one ofits principal objects the ready and convenient application of a resinousor other 551 paint coating to a block of wood so as to protect the samefrom, undesirable splitting and checking while in the process of dryingin a kiln.

This particular invention has. to do with the preparation of a woodblock such as that delouscribed in United States Letters Patent toMcKenzie, No. 2,120,368, dated June 14, 1938.

An important object of this invention resides in the production of amachine wherein wooden blocks, particularly blocks or billets of woodlag-such as those used in the production of bowling pins, can bereadilyand quickly covered on their heart and bark faces with a protectivecoating of some resinous paint or the like and wherein much of the handlabor in performing this operation is eliminated.

Still another important object of the invention resides in theproduction of a machine for coating wood blocks or the like preparatoryto their being dried in a kiln, whereby certainportions of the block maybe simply, adequately and emciently coated or covered with a protectivelayer of paint or the like and wherein this operation can be alsoperformed much more accurately than is ordinarily possible by hand.

3 Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and followingspecification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved coatingmachine of this invention showing certain essential details and alsoshowing the method of handling the wooden blocks in passing the samethrough the machine;

Figure 2 is a view of the motor, a portion of the tank, and the wheel ordrum by means of which the resinous coating is applied to the billets orblocks of wood in proper amount;

Figure 3 is a detail view of a block of wood coated in the machine ofthis invention;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the 5 wiring by means of whichthe contents of the coating tank are kept at the proper temperature andviscosity; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the face of the coating drumor wheel.

55 As shown in the drawings The'ref'erence numeral It) indicatesgenerally the tank in which the resinous paint or other coating.material of this invention is kept. Mounted in this tank for rotationtherein is a drum l2 positioned on a shaft 14, driven by a 5 motor I6and speed reducer I8.

A temperature; controlfor the contents of the tank I0 is indicated. at20; a starting box at. 22 and a starting switch at 24. This keeps thecoating at desiredviscosity. 10

A conveyor 26 leads from a preliminary storage or conditioning room tothe apparatus of 'this invention, and, another conveyor 28, is,

mounted at the other end-of the machine for the purpose. of carrying thecoated or doped pins 16 to trucks or the like whereon they are deliveredto-the: drying kilns.v I

The drum 1-2 is composed of a main body portion including a metallicrim, this being covered with a cushion comprising a layer of steel woolpads or the like, as illustrated at 38, this steel wool in turn beingcovered with a layer of canvas or a finemetal screen, as shown at 32,the whole being held in position by means of plies of baling wire or thelike 34 wound around the 25 drum. Wire mesh or glass cloth may also beused.

The resistance elements 40 by means of which the temperature in the tankID-is controlled, are connected to a source of electrical energy 42 30through the thermostat 20, and a block or billet of wood which isadapted to be treated in this machine is illustrated at 44 in Figure 1.The block 44,with a coating 46 thereon, showing the same after it haspassed through the machine, is 35 illustrated in Figure 3.

In operation the block to be treated is first held manually in theposition shown in the full lines 44 in Figure 1 and allowed to pass overthe wheel with either its heart or its bark face contacting the wheel ordrum l2, and inasmuch as the wheel or drum [2 is dipping into the meltedresinous paint or other material in the tank I0, this face of the blockor billet is immediately covered with the composition to a widthapproximating the efiective operating width of the wheel or drum I2, asshown by the band 46 in Figure 3. The pin block is then turned by theoperator to the position shown at 48 in Figure 1, whereupon one end ofthe block is accordingly coated. After 50 this has been accomplished thepin is then turned to the position shown at 50 in Figure land againadvanced horizontally'toward the left in that figure; after which it isfinally turned to the position shown in 52 which covers the other end 55of the block, thereby accomplishing a complete desired coating of theends and of the heart and bark faces, which accordingly acts to preventundue checking or splitting, all as described in the aforesaid McKenziepatent.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and I therefore do not propose limitingthe patent granted thereon otherwise than as necessitated by the priorart.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A machine for coating wood blockspreparatory to kiln drying comprising a container for the coatingmaterial, a drum rotatably mounted in the container, with its upperportion above the upper edge of the container, means for continuouslyrotating the drum at a relatively slow speed, and cushion means on thedrum for applying a layer of coating material to a'block of wood whenthe same is held against the drum, comprising a resilient and porousstuffing of nonabsorbent material and an outer foraminous covering.

2. A machine for coating wood blocks preparatory to kiln dryingcomprising a container for the coating material, a drum rotatablymounted in the container, with its upper portion above the upper edge ofthe container, means for continuously rotating the drum at a relativelyslow speed, and cushion means on the drum for applying a layer ofcoating material to a block of wood when the same is held against thedrum, said cushion means including a layer of steel wool on the surfaceof the drum.

3. A machine for coating wood blocks preparatory to kiln dryingcomprising a container for the coating material, a drum rotatablymounted in the container, with its upper portion above the upper edge ofthe container, means for continuously rotating the drum at a relativelyslow speed, and cushion means on the drum for applying a layer ofcoating material to a block of wood when the same is held against thedrum, said cushion means comprising layers of steel wool and canvas onthe surface of the drum.

4. A machine for coating wood blocks preparatory to kiln dryingcomprising a container for the coating material, a drum rotatablymounted in the container, with its upper portion above the upper edge ofthe container, means for continuously rotating the drum at a relatively15 slow speed, and cushion means on the drum for applying a layer ofcoating material to a block of wood when the same is held against thedrum, said cushion means comprising a resilient and porous layer ofnon-absorbent material and a 0 wire mesh covering on the surface of thedrum, and means'for retaining said cushion means on the drum face.

5. A machine for coating wood blocks preparatory tokiln dryingcomprising a container for 25 the coating material, a drum rotatablymounted in the container, with its upper portion above the upper edge ofthe container, means for continuously rotating the drum at a relativelyslow speed, and cushion means on the drum for applying a 30 layer ofcoating material to a block of wood when the same is held against thedrum, said cushion means comprising layers of woven glass fibers on thesurface of the drum, and means for retaining said absorbent cushionlayers on the 85 drum face, said means comprising wire hoops.

JESSE O. MATTESON.

